[Jeff Hamlin]

... Over the 35+ years I've owned the '66 I always knew it came from a small Dealership where we lived.
Ray Forshay Inc Pontiac Long Branch NJ.

Over the years every once in a while I would causally search for info and/or items with zero results.

I knew the the building still stood and that's about all I could come up with.
This little Dealership resided next to the Garfield Grant Hotel and I always hoped to gather more info.

Well I recently connected with a Historic Long Branch group and though I would ask about the Dealership and
to my surprise received a great response so far.

Some members remember Forshay's with fondness and even shared old newspaper clips.
I look forward to more items coming up.

The first image is an old Postcard where you can barely make out the Dealership in the background.
Then a recent map overview and one of the newspaper clips.
The last is a street view which I modified for grins.

Don't know why I waited so long to do this but thought I would share just for fun.

[Bill's 68]

Have you tried Ancestry.com Jeff? Maybe the salesman left a little DNA.

[Jeff Hamlin]

[Jeff Hamlin]

I hope my posting over there leads to some dealer memorabilia,
but either way these are neat to see.

Based on many of the post, Ray was very much involved within the Business community and helped out lots of locals as well. Many mention that their families would purchase all there new cars from Ray. Not to common to hear/see so many positive statements about an auto Dealership.

The last two images are c1995 the debut of completion on the '66 shot in our back yard in Long Branch not far from where it was delivered.

[camerjeff]

Pretty Kool Jeff, all the dealers my cars came from are either Taco Bell's (2) or Parking Lots now.

[Bill's 68]

Seriously Jeff, I hope you do find some memorabilia. It helps tell what is already a good story about your Tempest and adds a lot to the chain of ownership. Unfortunately, my dealership met an untimely demise - arson. Since I'm essentially the original owner, I did have some things (still have original dealer license frame on the car) and a friend was able to provide a number of the "Pontiac Parts Tips", with dealer logo, name and address printed on each. These were sent out to local mom and pop car service centers to help them service Pontiac vehicles (very interesting items).

[Jeff Hamlin]

Ray's Daughter chimed in. Hoping she can/will add to my post.

[camerjeff]

I hope it works out for you, I had some luck when I was in Bay City Michigan this Spring the dealer that I bought my 1st new Pontiac from is still standing, and still has some of the painted on Indian Head Logo's. I stopped to take some pictures of it. And the manager of the Truck repair shop that is now in the old Service bays came out and asked me what the hell I was doing?
I explained to him what I was taking pictures of and he relaxed, he said his landlord was the son of the last owner of the Pontiac Dealership. I asked if he would give my Business card his landlord and he said sure. So I wrote a little note on the back & to my surprise I received a call the next afternoon.
We had a pleasant conversation, and he asked me what cars I currently own as his father had kept a lot of the dealership's Brochures. We met the next evening for dinner and he gave me a 2006 Solstice & 1978 Pontiac Sales Albums! The 3 ring binders that the salesmen use, the Solstice one even has the section used to teach the salesmen the selling points of the car vs the competition. All it cost me was the price of Dinner.

No actual Dealer give away's and the 79 Firebird Formula I bought from them in 1980 is long gone. But it was an unexpected pleasant experience. I wish you similar luck with dealing with the Family of your Dealership!

[Jeff Hamlin]

Looks like Forshay expanded into another/larger location just across the street from the location shown previously.
Since this happened in early 1966, it's very possible the Lemans was processed through this newer store.


This building still stands as well.

[Jeff Hamlin]

[Andre]

This is great stuff. One of my cars sold new in 1964 at Larry Hopkins Pontiac in Sunnyvale, Ca. This is not too far from the Fremont plant. I was able to find a pair of mint license plate frames for Larry Hopkins Pontiac, but that is about it.Luckily I still have the original black plates. i don't have any key fobs, and I don't think there were too many dealer emblems on cars in California. Larry Hopkins was apparently an early Honda dealership, and are still in business selling Hondas.

Now if I could find anything from Kerns Pontiac in Winchester Virginia, or Wood Brothers in Oklahoma City, I'd be excited.

[muscle_collector]

Originally Posted by Andre

This is great stuff. One of my cars sold new in 1964 at Larry Hopkins Pontiac in Sunnyvale, Ca. This is not too far from the Fremont plant. I was able to find a pair of mint license plate frames for Larry Hopkins Pontiac, but that is about it.Luckily I still have the original black plates. i don't have any key fobs, and I don't think there were too many dealer emblems on cars in California. Larry Hopkins was apparently an early Honda dealership, and are still in business selling Hondas.

Now if I could find anything from Kerns Pontiac in Winchester Virginia, or Wood Brothers in Oklahoma City, I'd be excited.

ask old pinion head (roger) about the okc dealer. good chance he might have something.

[Jeff Hamlin]

Over the years I would occasionally search old newspapers both physical and then on-line as time went on.
I realized quickly the two major dealers in the Monmouth county area dominated the weekly papers with large full and half page ads.
This was Downs Pontiac and Rassas Pontiac.
Rassas hung in there until the very end, I knew their service manager and rented shop space from him in the 80's.
I'm not sure how long Downs survived.

I think since Forshay wasn't a heavy hitter compared to them his focus was very localized which is ever more clear by some of the postings about Him/His dealership.
As much as this recent batch of new (to me) items have come up, I doubt it will bare much beyond what has already been shown.
But I'll keep poking around.